Blowout
by Elizabeth Anamon
Summary: Post Ep. to A Thousand Days on Earth. When Leo comes to deliver a gift, Catherine must watch someone she loves fight for their life. Meanwhile the death of another child and a major error on Hodges’ part brings the trace tech to his breaking point. Ch3 up
1. Chapter 1

**Title****- Blowout**

**Summary****- Post Ep. to A Thousand Days on Earth. When Leo comes to deliver a gift, Catherine must watch someone she loves fight for their life. Meanwhile the death of another child and a major error on Hodges' part brings the trace tech to his breaking point. **

**Rating****- T for some violence, graphic descriptions and language**

**Comments****- Ok, so if you check out the CBS comment boards, you will see that lots of people really hated how this episode ended. I may be able to give you the change in Catherine some want to see. Oh, and I know I've been neglecting ****Mask and Face**** and ****Third Time's a Charm****. I'm sorry. I'll try to work on those as soon as I can but this I just had to start now.**

No girlfriend. No home. No job. No life. No future. Leo Finley probably couldn't even get a library card. And whose fault was that? Was it the drugs that caused his mind to falter the day regretted with every bone in his body? Was it the Egyptian sun god Ra? Or was it his own fault? No. The one who stole his girlfriend, home, job, life, and future was CSI Catherine Willows. With the yellow pages and a stolen 9mm in the glove box of his barely-running car, Leo set off to teach that "blond Nazi bitch" that she couldn't just strut her cocky ass around Las Vegas like she owned the damn place fucking up people's lives.

He was a little drunk, a little high, and a lot pissed off when he arrived in a neighborhood that reminded him of Leave it to-Fucking-Beaver in the sunny peacefulness of the afternoon. It made him want to gag and laugh at the same time. He chuckled a little as he habitually flipped on his turn signal and turned on to Catherine's street. He parked about a block away and walked through people's yards to get to his goal. He looked at the address on the two-story Barbie house and again at the address scribbled on the corner of a newspaper that he held in his shaking had. He wasn't shaking in fear, but in anger, anticipation and…yes, it was almost excitement.

Leo stood for a moment in the yard looking through the window whose curtains were pulled back and blinds partly opened. It was enough to see someone spinning around in the living room. What was she doing? It didn't look like Catherine. Was that woman seriously being allowed to raise children? His face twisted sickly and for a moment he almost wanted to shoot the spinning figure he saw, but that wouldn't do him any good. What would do him some good was to get this all over and done with. Right here. Right now.

He turned to the side; he wanted whoever looked out the window of that house to be able to see the inside of his scull. Although he had thought of making her look him in the eyes, he knew that she had already seen his face. He had seen hers, and it had looked so fucking pitiful it was hilarious. He was sure that she would never forget his face. What he wanted her to see was blood, brain, and tiny little bits of his head. He wanted her to se _that. _He wanted her _daughter _to see that. He wanted them to remember _that _the next time they thought about targeting an innocent person. He brought the gun to his temple. He paused. A scream rang out from inside the house. The last thing he thought about was the look of fear on Catherine's face. The last thing he said, hoping to be heard by whoever screamed, was his response to that fear he pictured.

"HA!"

And that short laugh was almost as loud as the gunshot that followed.

csicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsi

Catherine was doing some spring cleaning in the kitchen when she heard someone come in the front door. She could hear the muffled iPod from there and rolled her eyes at the too-loud dance pop.

"How was school, Lindsay?" She called into the living room.

The distracted high school senior poked her head in and removed an earphone from her right ear only.

"Say what, mom?"

Catherine sighed and smiled. "How was school?"

"Meh," she shrugged and returned to the living room. "I have a number to practice, you mind?" Catherine could already hear her daughter opening the CD player and inserting God knows what kind of music.

"Go on, but just keep the music-" before Catherine could finish the sentence, the blast of the music to which her daughter would be dancing cut her off. She sighed and rolled her eyes once more. "Down," she mumbled to herself.

Catherine was almost finished cleaning when the phone rang.

"Lindsay!" she yelled in her loudest nice voice, "Turn it down!"

She heard the music go down to almost off and replied "Thank you, Lindsay."

She picked up the phone and answered politely, "Willows residence."

"Sorry, wrong number."

Catherine chuckled. "Hay, Nicky."

"Hey, Cat. What are you up to today."

"Oh, not a lot. Just thought I'd get the kitchen cleaned up. I've been working mucho overtime lately and I'm pretty sure my counter had grown something behind the microwave."

"Yuck. Cat, why don't you rest up a while. Make Lindsay clean the kitchen."

"Ha! Are you kidding me, Nick. I can't even get that girl to clean her own room."

Nick sighed. "Well, just make sure to get some rest later, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll try, but I think-" the sentence was cut off by a scream from the living room, followed not a second later by a gunshot and shattering glass.

Catherine dropped the phone and ran into the living room screaming, "Lindsay! Oh my God _Lindsay_!"

She covered her mouth and screamed when she got to the living room and saw her daughter laying on the floor, blood trickling from her head, and a gift: the body of Leo Finley in her front lawn.

**Ok, so what just happened? Leo shot himself and the bullet went through his head and into the living room, hitting Lindsay. Watch for more if you want to know if she lives or dies. No coins this time, I promise. lol **


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, I'm nice and don't hold stories hostage for reviews. Others of you are not nice because I have no reviews. C'mon, people, do I have to beg? It's not every fic where Lindsay gets shot! I'll give you a cookie! I'll even write you smut if you want. Give me something if only to tell me I suck.**

* * *

"Catherine!" Nick screamed when he heard the commotion on the other line. "Catherine, what's going on?"

He could here the scream coming from inside the living room and began to panic.

"_Catherine!_" he shouted as loud as he could.

On the other end of the telephone, Catherine was also in a panic. She had to make sure her daughter was still alive. She knelt down and gently touched Lindsay's neck. A wave of relief rushed over her when she felt a faint throbbing under her fingers.

"Lindsay," she pleaded through sobs, "Please stay. Please stay, baby. Don't leave me.

Catherine pulled her cell phone from her pocket. She had to call for an ambulance, but she could not leave her daughter's side; not for an ambulance, not to hang up the land line or even to quiet Nick who she could still here screaming for her on the line.

The operator's voice was a little too cheerful. "9-1-1, please state the nature-"

"He shot my daughter!" Catherine cut her off. "That bastard shot himself and he shot my daughter."

"Alright, I need you to give me your location."

"1714 JFK Drive."

"There's an ambulance en rout as we speak. Are you injured?"

"No, but you tell that ambulance to hurry its ass!"

She hung up on the operator and could here now that Nick had hung up on her, as well. He was probably on his way over to see what had happened and if she was alright. She decided to call him and let him know what had happened. The worst thing that could happed now was for Nick to here inaccurate second-hand information. No, the worst thing that could happen would be for Lindsay to die. No, no. She couldn't think that. Catherine looked through tear-filled eyes at the dime-sized hole in her baby girl's head and knew that she would die if she ever lost her blond-headed dancer.

Nick was frantic when he answered his cell phone. "Oh my god, Cat, what happened? I heard the gunshot and the glass and then you screamed and you wouldn't pick up the phone. Is everything…What happened?"

By this time Catherine was hyperventilating and couldn't form a full sentence. "Leo…"

"He came." Nick was the only person she had told about Leo's threat. She hadn't worried about it. She saw now that it was the worst mistake of her life.

"He shot himself and… stupid bullet…Lindsay…"

"Holly shit, Lindsay!?"

"Shot her. Shot Lindsay! _Shot_ _my baby!_"

"My god. Cat, she's not-"

"She's not dead."

Nick sighed and the line was quiet until Catherine heard the sound of an ambulance and police sirens wailing in unison. "Nick, I hear the ambulance coming."

"Well, I'm coming, too. I'll meet you at the hospital. Which one?"

"Um, St. Christopher's has a better neurology unit, so-"

"Neurology! Cat, you didn't tell me she was hit in the head!"

"She's going to live, Nick. Just meet me at St. Christopher's"

She hung up the phone just as the ambulance was pulling up; followed closely by two squad cars and an LVPD issue Denali. Out of the black vehicle stepped the newly promoted day shift supervisor Sophia Curtis and CSI Jennifer Castillo.

Catherine saw Sophia giving Jennifer orders. She couldn't hear them. Suddenly, she couldn't hear anything. It was as if the world had completely turned off the sound. She looked down to her daughter's face and saw her eyes squint shut; her lips parted slightly.

"Lindsay?" The panicking mother did not hear herself and believed the word had not completely escaped her mouth. She had to say her daughter's name louder. Lindsay had to hear it and know her mom was still there. She took her hand and squeezed as tight as she could as she screamed with just as much force. "Lindsay! Can you hear me? Lindsay!

Although she could not hear, she could see Lindsay try to say something.

"M…Mo…"

"It's okay, baby, I'm here."

Lindsay's face relaxed just as the paramedics burst into the room with the stretcher. Catherine had no choice but to release her daughter's hand and allow the EMTs to lift the limp, unconscious body up and away.

"Wait," she called after them, "I want to go with her, please, let me go with her."

Were they ignoring her? She still couldn't hear and no one was helping her into the back of the ambulance that was now driving away. Wait! No!

"I wanted to go with her! I wanted to go with her!"

"Catherine," Sophia said calmly, "You can't go with her. There's not enough room back there." It was obvious to Sophia that Catherine couldn't hear her. But somehow Catherine knew what Sophia was trying to say.

Sophia spoke calmly, slowly, and softly. She helped Catherine up from the floor and led her over to the couch where the two sat down. "Catherine, Jennifer is going to process the scene; I'm going to talk to you, okay?"

Catherine nodded as her hearing slowly began to return.

"Okay. Catherine, do you know the man who shot himself?"

Catherine nodded again. "Leo. Leo Finley. He threatened to do this after a case about a week ago. He blamed me for ruining his life."

"Had you told anyone about this?"

"Only Nick."

Sophia lay down her notes and looked at Catherine with great concern. "Why didn't you make a report of it?"

"I know I should have, but I didn't think it was a big…" she stopped and leaned back, closing her eyes. "I didn't think he was seriously dangerous. I thought he would just go away. I thought I was six feet tall and bullet proof. Well, my daughter isn't bullet proof and I put her in danger. God, Sophia, I'm so stupid and I'm a horrible mother."

Sophia gently placed her hand on Catherine's knee. "You're not stupid, Catherine. And you are an excellent mother."

Catherine stood up and began to pace around the room. "I just didn't think right when I worked that case, you know? I mean, when a baby girl dies like that, who does? All I could think about was that little girl and then my little girl and soon Cordelia Doe _became_ Lindsay to me. I had to get the bastard who hurt her and I didn't care whose toes I stepped on or whose yard I walked in to do it. Then it all turns out to have been an accident and it really is Lindsay now.

At the end or that monologue, Catherine's cell phone rang. She checked the ID and quickly flipped it open. "Hey, Nick."

"Catherine," he said. He was trying to be cal but he had never been a good actor. "You might want to get to the hospital as soon as possible."

* * *

**Things in this chapter I made up****: the address, the hospital, the dayshift CSI with Sophia, and Sophia's promotion. Is Sophia even on the show anymore? Well, I like her so she's in my story. Also, about Lindsay being a high school senior…made that up, too. I actually think the show portrays her as younger that that, like 14, maybe? IDK, my story. I made her that age (17-19) because of how I want the story to end. Oh, and I checked it; what happens to Lindsay **_**is**_** physically possible.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews that I finally got author dances for joy then sits back down slowly because her entire web design class is staring at her. Thank you zcst4eva for pointing something out to me. Because I already started, though, I have to continue with what I did in this chapter when I do Sophia and Jennifer's POV. I also received a pm about the presence of David Hodges like I promised earlier. We'll he's coming up soon. Just be patient and I shall deliver the master to you. lol **

* * *

Sophia Curtis and Jennifer Castillo parked their LVPD Denali behind the squad car and leapt out in front of Catherine's house.

"Jennifer," Sophia said when she reached her on the other side of the vehicle, "You are going to process the scene. It's obvious what happened here, but we still need to conduct a thorough investigation."

"First the suicide in the lawn, then the broken window."

"And the living room when Catherine and I have gone. I'll talk to her then go with her to the hospital."

Jennifer made a questioning look. "Why does someone have to go with her?"

"They don't. Catherine and I used to work the same shift. We're friends. I just want to make sure she and Lindsay are okay."

Jennifer nodded in understanding. "That's good. Well, I'll get busy."

As Sophia went in the direction of the house, Jennifer got to work on the scene. She photographed the body from several angles and collected the gun and shell casing. She looked from her position to the living room window and a trajectory diagram popped into her mind. She was distracted when she saw the stretcher leave to house. She looked back in the window and could see Catherine pacing around. Jennifer couldn't even imagine what Catherine was going through, and she didn't want to. Her own daughter Zoë was five and her son Louis was eight, and she knew she would just die if anything happened to either of her children. She looked to the sky and said a quick prayer for the Willows' and then photographed the shattered window from where she stood.

Back inside the house, Sophia tried to comfort her friend. She got very concerned hearing only one side of a conversation between Catherine and Nick.

"Oh my god, what's happened, is she okay… Damn it Nick you scared the shit out of me…Is she okay? What do you mean you can't find anything out, that's our job…Ok, I'll be there soon. Thank you, Nicky."

"Do you want to go now?" Sophia asked as Catherine hung up the phone. Catherine just nodded. "Okay, you'll go in a squad car.

"Jennifer," Sophia called when they were outside. "Catherine you go and get in the car. I'll only be a moment." A cop walked Catherine to the car. "Jen, I'm ready to take Catherine to the hospital. After you finish processing I want you to get the evidence back to the lab. And remember-"

"-Our motto, always be thorough even if you know what happened."

Sophia smiled. "Yes."

csicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsi

Catherine burst out of the elevator doors the moment they opened up into the third floor of St. Christopher's Hospital, followed closely by Sophia. Somehow Nick new exactly when they would arrive, because he was waiting for them.

"What's happening here, Nick?" Catherine said immediately when she saw him

"She's in surgery as we speak. If the surgery goes exactly as planned they give her a 95 chance. That's what I know."

"Ah, Mrs. Willows," a doctor behind Nick greeted. He was a tall, skinny man with graying red hair and a goatee. "I'm Dr. Rosenfield."

"What's going on with my daughter?"

"Well, what your friend said is all true, but I suppose you want details?"

"Yes," Catherine confirmed, "All the details you know."

"As you wish. We should go someplace quieter."

In a deserted ER waiting room, Rosenfield gave Catherine the details.

"When she was shot," he began, "The bullet penetrated the frontal bone of the skull just above the right orbital cavity. The unusual thing about this bullet is that it's traveling and is presently at rest between the right temporal bone and that region of the brain. In laymen's terms-"

"-She got hit above the right eye and the bullet is now floating around in her head between her brain and her skull."

"Yes, meaning the bullet never actually penetrated the brain. It's just causing tremendous amount of pressure."

Catherine sighed and looked at the ceiling as though it contained the answer to the universe. "Nick said you give her 95?"

"Yes. But between you and me Mrs. Willows, I believe the only reason we're missing five percentage points is because ER doctors don't like giving perfect scores."

"So you think she'll make it."

Dr. Rosenfield smiled. "That is given that the surgery goes _flawlessly_. Anything could happen, but I promise we have our best surgeons putting forth their best effort for you daughter."

"St. Christopher's has the best neurological surgical unit in Nevada."

The string bean doctor chuckled. "If Lindsay survives, you should do our commercials."

Catherine cocked one eyebrow. "Not interested, Doc. But thanks for your help."

Nick was waiting for Catherine in the hall.

"I already called everyone for you." When she didn't say anything, he was afraid he did something wrong. "Did you not want me to?"

"No, I mean yes, well…thanks Nick."

"You're welcome" he thanked. "So what did you find out?" he asked eagerly.

"The bullet's floating."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, it hasn't done any major damage and Dr. Rosenfield seems to think she'll make it."

Just then, a doctor came rushing out of surgery up to Dr. Rosenfield.

"Doctor," he said almost frantically, "It's the gunshot wound to the head in surgery-"

"What about her?"

"The bullet floated into and broke a major vain. We've got a massive hemorrhage and we need your help."

Rosenfield followed the other doctor at a running pace. When they burst into the operating room, his stomach turned in thought of what he had just told this girl's mother.

"She's loosing to much blood to fast. She needs a transfusion now or she'll bleed to death."

csicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsi

In the mind of David Hodges, there should have been music playing in the background like in the movies when someone great does something average. He was thinking something fun and spunky like "Thriller." The cocky, mischievous grin that was almost permanently plastered on his face shone brightly that evening as the graveyard shift trace tech combed his dark hair in the mirror talking to himself. It was the usual Hodges self pep talk that put him in such good (and as some would say, arrogant) spirits most nights. All nights. Hodges was always great, and he told himself that every evening.

"David," he said to the too-handsome reflection, "Do you know why the Las Vegas crime lab is second only to the FBI? Hm? It's because-" he sapped and pointed at the mirror, "- You, it's star laboratory technician, have not made a single technical error in your entire forensic career."

He winked and made an obnoxious "click" sound.

"That, and Grissom's cool."

It was no secret throughout the Las Vegas crime lab that Hodges longed to make Grissom proud. What _was_ a secret was his obsessive hero worship for the man. He'd have had a shrine in his closet to the middle-aged shift supervisor if his pride would allow his room to be anything other then a David domain.

So, if Hodges was to bow to Grissom, everyone else was to bow to Hodges.

It was a little early to go to work yet; barely past five. But Hodges liked to get a head start on the world and take everything by storm.

Interrupting the music in his mind came a call on his cell phone. His ring tone announced in it's own obnoxious way with, "Someone's calling you. Someone's calling you."

"Hello," he answered in his signature perky voice.

"Hodges, I need you to come in early today and help out the day shift tech for a few hours," requested the object of his worship.

"Something major come up, or they-"

Grissom interrupted before Hodges could make any self-glorifying comments. "Yes, something major cam up and it's something you should know about."

"Really?"

"It's about Catherine, David. Something happened to Lindsay."

* * *

**Yeah, I know I jumped from true and perfect angst to a stupid little introductory Hodges scene, but I though you could use the comic relief.**


End file.
